2022 Locus Recommended Reading List

“In O’Leary’s (The Gift) latest, Winston Koop’s job is to make people forget. He’s been tasked with keeping the government’s biggest secret, that the infamous Roswell incident was not a badly covered up alien crash landing on Earth. Instead, the incident was itself a well-conceived coverup of something much more dangerous. Experiments at Area 51 have opened a door into the multiverse, and the government has spent decades covering up their illegal experiments on beings from the other side—and the resulting technical advances that have been gleaned as a result. But he’s an old man now, and his misdeeds are wearing him down. All he needs to do is tell his best friend a story that Winston has made him forget. O’Leary’s novel can be read in any number of ways—as science fiction exploring the multiverse; as fantasy dealing with creatures of the imagination made real; as commentary on how badly humans treat one another and the rest of the planet; as a political satire; as a tale of an over-the-hill-gang that rides again; as an exploration of the human psyche and the need to be seen and understood; or all of the above. VERDICT Recommended for readers of philosophically and psychologically bent sf.”
—Library Journal

“O’Leary’s 51 is literary fiction on LSD, laced with surreal dreamscapes, humor, and dark insights into the human condition.”
—William C. Dietz, author of the Winds of War series

“A deeply felt exploration of friendship, loyalty, memory, and growing old . . . there are also passages of truly lovely prose to remind us that this is much more than a conspiracy thriller.”
—Locus

“Spanning over fifty years, the timeline jumps around enough to make one’s head spin, with endings as clear as a kaleidoscopic daydream. It is a quirky, offbeat take on a popular plot. O’Leary takes the Roswell conspiracy and sets it on its ear. This outlandish paranormal chronical pushes science fiction in a new direction. O’Leary’s bizarre, hallucinogenic narrative is the Naked Lunch for a new generation. In fact, 51 has all the elements of a cult classic in the making.”
—Manhattan Book Review

“O’Leary and his metaphysical snake slither across a hallucinogenic Alice In Wonderland/Yellow Submarine/Slaughterhouse Five narrative that is even weirder than the reality that is America.”
—Mario Acevedo, author of the Felix Gomez series

“In addition to its creative exploration of intriguing themes, 51 is notable for its unpredictable moments. Some are funny (the Pope’s interactions with American presidents are priceless). Others are poignant. . . . The appearance of 51 gives me hope that O’Leary will retire from his day job.”
—Tzer Island

“If you like the works of Joseph Heller and Kurt Vonnegut, then this will indubitably give pleasure.”
—SF Crowsnest

“O’Leary has his own voice that has long been missing from science fiction. 51 offers a taste of that voice that many readers will either not know they have been missing, or have forgotten in the nearly two decades since his last novel. Nevertheless, 51 is a unique and welcome addition and a chance for readers to either discover O’Leary or become reacquainted with him.”
—Steven Silver Reviews

“Fascinating, and compulsively readable, and cumulatively quite moving. O’Leary’s first three novels proved he is a major writer in our field—and 51 shouldn’t change anyone’s mind about that!”
—Rich Horton